One of the hardest parts of freshman year of college is accepting that we no longer live in the comfort of our own homes. Living in a twelve-by-nineteen foot dorm room with a complete stranger isn’t exactly ideal. And let’s not forget that three hundred other complete strangers are shoved into a building and expected to get along. But I think the most uncomfortable, disgusting, and downright hardest part of freshman year is being forced to share communal bathrooms in the dormitory.
As a second semester freshman currently, I have had about twenty-four weeks to become accustomed to my living situation. However, like many freshman I know, I still have not mastered the ways of living in a civil manner in a college dormitory. For those of you who have not yet had or skipped the experience of living dorm life, the vivid images I am about to portray may scar you but do not be too negatively influenced. In order to enjoy the complete college experience, the torture of living in dorms is 100% necessary.
Walking from your dorm room to the bathroom reminds you of high school when you peeked down the hall before you started walking to see who you had to avoid. On the way, you avoid eye contact with a group of fraternity pledges yelling about how drunk they still are at 10 a.m. You may look down at your phone and pretend to be deep in thought when you see three girls that you really can’t stand because you do not want to have a forced conversation about what you did last night. When you do finally make it to the bathroom, you’ll most likely find a sign on the door saying, “CLOSED FOR CLEANING.” Of course, they are only cleaned during the week, so you may have to venture to the nearest private bathroom to avoid the toxic fumes coming from every stall during the weekend.
Don’t get me wrong. This article is not a complaint, but more of an informational handbook on communal bathrooms. Therefore, take note; it is absolutely essential to line the toilet seat with toilet paper before you sit down whether you’re a germaphobe or not because you never know what could be living on the seats. As for those brave souls who walk around the bathroom and shower with bare feet, they should probably see a doctor, but not the ones on campus who prescribe you cough drops when you have strep throat.
Additionally, we all know the claustrophobic feeling we get while showering in the showers. We hope no one heard when we yelled out a cuss word or two when a bottle of shampoo fell off the six-inch shelf fastened the wall of the shower onto your unsuspecting foot. You think that shelf has caused enough pain until you bend down to pick up the bottle and stand up only to smash the back of your head on it.
Now, if you’re lucky enough to have an RA that has a good sense of humor despite the situation, you will laugh every time you enter the torture chamber of the communal bathroom. Posting clever memes on the mirror does little to eliminate the plethora of trash littering the floor, un-flushed toilets, and Cup of Noodles clogging the sinks. Currently, my RA outdid herself with the Nicolas Cage meme posted on the mirror in my communal bathroom, which I've included with this story for your viewing pleasure.
